Week 6 (M) : Here comes the playoffs!

By Benjamin Brassard and Laetitia Marey

The tension was at its peak at the Hockey Etcetera arena for the kickoff of the men’s division playoffs in the LSHL. In this fast-paced format, the semifinals decide which teams will get a shot at the summer league title, while the losers will battle for the consolation final next week.

Rénobrio (2) shuts down Manmade (3) in a one-sided duel

The long-anticipated opening clash between Rénobrio and Manmade quickly set the tone. Just seconds in, Franky Lapenna made a spectacular save that fired up the crowd, but the excitement didn’t last long. Rénobrio came out swinging, netting no fewer than seven goals in the first period.

In his first game in net for Rénobrio, Devon Levi stood tall, fending off repeated attacks from a scrappy but ineffective Manmade squad. Giovanni Fiore scored the goal of the game with a perfect top-shelf shot that sent the opposing goalie’s water bottle flying. And once again, the Joseph brothers were outstanding, piling up goals and scoring chances, solidifying their status as the true backbone of the team.

Rénobrio cruised to a commanding 14–3 victory, thanks in large part to Levi’s stellar performance, allowing only three goals, a season-best for any goalie. With the win, Rénobrio books their ticket to the summer league grand finale.

Accent Assurances (4) vs. Be Healthy Love Berry (1): a game worthy of a movie script
The second game of the night started with a bang, as Be Healthy Love Berry opened the scoring. The lead didn’t last, though, Accent Assurances responded with two quick goals that brought the crowd to its feet. The atmosphere was electric from the first minutes.

One to watch: Arseni Radkov, the Montreal Canadiens’ third-round pick in the most recent draft, was making his debut in the league. Hard for the fans to stay neutral, Accent boasts five Canadiens players out of a possible six and the energy in the stands reflected it.

The highlight of the second period came when Ivan Demidov scored Accent’s fifth goal. His shot ignited the arena, sparking chants of “Go Habs Go” and “Let’s go Demidov” worthy of the Bell Centre. In the third, Accent’s offense kicked into high gear, pulling ahead by four with just five minutes left, but Be Healthy Love Berry refused to fold. In a wild sequence, they scored four times in under two minutes to tie it up with a minute to go, sending the game to the first shootout of the summer.

In the end, Be Healthy Love Berry snatched an 11–10 victory thanks to a beautiful goal from Nicolas Aubé-Kubel. Play of the night goes to a perfect tic-tac-toe: Evans to Demidov, a between-the-legs pass to Josh Roy, who finished with a powerful one-timer. And for the fun moment of the game? The first shooter in the shootout for Be Healthy Love Berry was none other than Kristopher Letang’s son.